Every Ghibli Film Ranked, and Number One Is Not the One

Twenty five Studio Ghibli films, ranked worst to best by one rule: did each film finish the job it set itself. Number one is not the one you expect. This is not a best-of. Every film from Nausicaa to The Boy and the Heron is judged on completeness, and where two are equally finished, the one that gave itself the harder job wins. That puts quiet films high and famous films lower than you want, and two placements are flagged as fights before we reach them. Footage runs under the commentary throughout. Chapters 0:00 The Criterion 0:42 Nausicaa 1984 1:17 Unnamed 1:30 25. Earwig and the Witch 2:06 24. Tales from Earthsea 2:51 23. Ocean Waves 3:19 22. Pom Poko 3:55 21. From Up on Poppy Hill 4:37 20. Howl's Moving Castle 5:28 19. The Cat Returns 5:55 18. Porco Rosso 6:35 17. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 7:14 16. The Boy and the Heron 7:48 15. Ponyo 8:19 14. The Secret World of Arrietty 8:50 13. When Marnie Was There 9:26 12. Castle in the Sky 9:57 11. Princess Mononoke 10:42 10. My Neighbors the Yamadas 11:12 9. The Red Turtle 11:54 8. The Wind Rises 12:28 7. Kiki's Delivery Service 13:07 6. Whisper of the Heart 13:49 5. Only Yesterday 14:44 4. My Neighbor Totoro 15:31 3. Third Place 16:26 2. Second Place 17:26 1. Number One 19:22 The Two You Will Fight Me on